©Hi On Life Adventures Sida 1 Phuta Hiunchuli Expedition Camping

Phuta Hiunchuli Expedition
Camping
No. of days: 34
Graded: Highly challenging
Nepal
Nepal, a tiny country, nestled in the Himalayas between India and China, is one of the most
diverse and fascinating countries in the world. Covering an area of only 147,181 sq. km, Nepal
encompasses the world’s highest mountains and the deepest valleys as well as low elevation rain
forest. Although the width of the country is only 200 km north to south, Nepal has the highest
altitude variation of any country on earth, from 20m above sea level to 8 848m above sea level
(Top of Everest). The country is divided in to 3 elevation Zones viz. the low Terrain, the midhill
region and the high Himalayas, which contains 1/3 of the Himalayan range with 9 of the world’s
highest mountains. This wide diversity of landform gives Nepal an incredible wealth of flora and
fauna. Nepal is not only famous for its landscape but also renowned for the friendliness of its
people. The people of Nepal are as variable and intriguing as the country’s geography. There are
more than 37 ethnic groups with their own language and culture. Hinduism is the official
religion, which the majority of the people practice. Many people throughout the country are
Buddhist and the two religions have co-existed in harmony over the ages. A small number of
people practice Christianity and Islam.
Nepal at a glance:
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Longitude: 26'12' and 30'27' No
Latitude: 80 degree 4' and 88 degree 12' East
Population: 24 million
Capitol: Kathmandu
Area: 147,181 sq. km.
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Everest
Mount Everest, named after George Everest, the Surveyor General of British India, lies in the
Khumbu region of Nepal. The first summit attempt on Everest was by the British in 1921 and
only after 32 years of intense exploration, Everest was finally scaled on May 29 th, 1953, by Sir
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay under Lord Hunt’s team. The Nepalese name for
Everest is Sagarmatha which means “Goddess of the Sky” and the Tibetan name for it is
Chomolungma which means “Mother Goddess of the Earth”. By whatever name you call her, she
remains the tallest mountain in the world consecrated in midst of the gigantic mountains and
glaciers as though they were her subjects. She truly looks like an Empress in her utmost beauty
and glory and has attracted hundreds and thousands of mountain lovers over the years.
Himalayan Mountaineering
Ever since the Himalaya in Nepal has been opened for climbing, it has attracted thousands of
mountaineers. Thousands of people have challenged their minds and bodies to conquer these
magnificent mountains.
Nepal Himalaya has numerous of mountains which are 7 000m and higher, which require
extensive technical experience and a lot of money to climb. Apart from these technical
expedition peaks, there was created in 1978, under the control of the Nepal Mountaineering
Association (NMA), a list of mountains, between 5 587m to 6 654m, called ”Trekking Peaks".
Unlike the technical expedition peaks, which are a complicated and an expensive affair, these
"trekking peaks" can be climbed without financial and administrative problems. There are 1 310
identified peaks which are above 6 000m, one fourth are officially opened for mountaineering.
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Sida 2
Your Adventure
Mt. Putha Hiunchuli at 7246m, is the western most peak of Dhaulagiri range, and is the last
7000m mountain marking the end of the snow-capped range. It is also referred to as Dhaulagiri
VII. This mountain was first climbed in 1954 by Jimmy Roberts, a legendary explorer and
climber.
Hi On Life Himalaya have been looking for a relatively easier and safer 7000m mountain in
Nepal, hence we introduce Putha Hiunchuli, for those who want to climb high mountains
without much technical difficulty and avalanche dangers.
Moreover, for those adrenaline freaks out there, you can add more exhilaration to your climb by
skiing down this mountain, as it provides a good slope to ski down.
Unlike most parts of Nepal which are thronged by thousands of tourists, not many people know
about this mountain and its region, thus providing you the chance to explore its uniqueness.
Even the approach to this mountain is enchanting and mesmerizing as we walk through high
cliffs, deep canyons and breathtaking valleys of the famous but relatively less explored and
restricted area of Nepal, called the Dolpa.
Although it is a relatively easier mountain to climb, it is still a 7000m+ mountain and
nevertheless it should be taken seriously and with utmost preparation. A very high level of
physical fitness is required as it involves endurance climb at very high altitude and extreme low
temperatures. Temperatures on summit day could be as low as -40 degrees Celsius.
This climb involves roped-up glacier climbing with crevasse crossings. The snow slopes are up to
40 degrees. We use fixed ropes on steeper sections of the climb, but much of the climbing will be
done as roped teams. Although our Sherpa team will establish the camps on the mountain and
carry food and fuel, we expect our team members to carry their own gear.
We have set aside two weeks for the climbing period, which allows you to acclimatize and
prepare for the summit. We plan to use three camps above base camp - Camp 1 at 5,400m,
Camp 2 at 6,000m and Camp 3 at 6,600m.
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Itinerary:
Day 01:
Day 02:
Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to hotel Hotel
Kathmandu - Official formalities, briefing at the Ministry of Tourism. 7
O/N Hotel
Day 03:
Flight : KTM- Nepalgunj, O/N Hotel
Day 04: Flight: Nepalgunj- Juphal, Trek to Dunai Camp
Day 05:
Trek to Tarakot Camp
Day 06: Trek to Khani Gaon Camp
Day 07:
Trek to Musi Khola Camp
Day 08: Trek to Kagkot Camp
Day 09: Trek to Panzi Camp
Day 10:
Trek to German Base Camp Camp
Day 11:
Trek to Putha Hiunchuli Base Camp Camp
Day 12-25: Climbing period of Putha Hiunchuli
Day 26:
Base Camp – German Base Camp Camp
Day 27:
Trek to Kagkot Camp
Day 28:
Trek to Mushi Khola Camp
Day 29:
Trek to Khani Gaon Camp
Day 30:
Trek to Tarakot Camp
Day 31:
Trek to Dunai Camp
Day 32:
Flight: Juphal-Nepalgunj-KTM, Hotel
Day 33:
Kathmandu free day, Hotel
Day 34:
Final Departure
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Cost Includes:
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4 nights at Hotel Tibet in KTM on B/B – Twin Sharing Room
1 night hotel in Nepalgunj including all meals.
Expedition Permit Fee, Government Liaison Officer
National Park fee, TIMS permit fees
Flight: Ktm-Nepalgunj & Nepalgunj-Juphal.
Flight back: Juphal-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu.
1 High Altitude Climbing Sherpa for 2 members.
1 Base Camp Cook, and Kitchen Helper
Porters and yaks to carry equipment, food/fuel.
All Nepali staffs Insurance/ wages and equipment allowance
40 kgs per member for personal baggage
All meals while camping.
Single tent at Base Camp. Twin share tent on the trek and above Base Camp.
All tents including Dinning/Kitchen/Toilet/Store Tent, Hot Shower Tent.
1 Gas Heater for Base Camp
Primus Ep gas, burners, cooking pots for Higher Camps.
Bottled oxygen with mask & Regulator for Medical Use
All necessary Climbing route equipments
Cost Excludes
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Insurance: Travel/Accident/Medical /emergency evacuation
Private room accommodation in Kathmandu unless a single supplement is paid.
Staff tipping
Nepal entry Visa
Telephone, laundry, mineral water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Emergency rescue evacuation cost if needed
All other personal nature expenses.
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Sida 5
A Day on Your Trek
Although each day is different, considering the weather, general pace of the group and length of
the days walk, in general your day begins with a wake up tea at around 6 to 6:30 in the morning.
You will then be provided with a bowl of warm water for washing. Then you will need to pack
your duffel bag and your daypack and come to the dining tent for breakfast.
After breakfast we will hit the trail and usually walk for about 3 to 4 hours before we stop for
lunch. We will give you about an hour and a half rest during lunch, which will also give enough
time for the staff to have their lunch and pack. Usually after 3 to 4 hours of walking we finish the
days walk by 4 PM. Tea/ Coffee and snacks will be served on arrival to the camp. Your dinner
will be served around 7 PM.
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Sida 6
High Altitude
On this trek you will be going up to 7 246m, so it is very important to understand the affects of
altitude.
The greatest provocation is going too high too fast. Hi On Life’s itinerary has been carefully
designed to minimize the effects of altitude. We ascend slowly and surely allowing enough time
for safe acclimatization.
Headaches and breathlessness are common at altitude which in itself is nothing to worry about.
In rare cases, this may worsen to Acute Mountain sickness (AMS), so a close watch is kept on all
trekkers by the group leader who is trained to recognize the symptoms of AMS which are severe
headaches, nausea, lethargy, loss of appetite serious breathlessness even at rest. If any trekkers
show such signs they will be descended to relatively lower and safer altitude. The Group
Leader's decision on evacuating such person to a safe altitude is final. Do not medicate yourself
without first informing your group leader. Going to altitude slowly with adequate rest and
adequate intake of fluid (3 to 4 litres per day), you will most likely have no problems apart from
breathlessness on hills which is completely normal as the percentage of Oxygen in the air is
relatively lower to that at sea level. The most important thing is not to worry about altitude
because our team is there to take care of you.
Staff
Group leader: your most important member of your staff. Our Group leaders are highly
trained in all aspects of the trek, conservation, first aid specializing on altitude sickness,
emergency procedures and have extensive knowledge of the natural history of the area.
Sirdar: His job is to manage and organize staff duties. He is responsible for the actual
operation of the trek.
Sherpas: Their job is to lead your way and distribute equal loads to the porters.
Porters: They are responsible to transport your duffle bags and their job finishes once they
reach the designated lodge. Our porters are provided with Gore-Tex suits, trekking boots,
gloves, hats, socks, snow gaiters and snow goggles. Most importantly, we regulate them on a 25
kg carrying which very few companies do. Our clients can therefore feel comfortable knowing
that our porters are working in a good humane condition. During the trek you can see porters
carrying 60-70 kg and sometimes even up to 100 kg!!
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Sida 7
Cooks and Food: On our expedition, our skilful and hard working cooks prepare three hot
meals each day with a very healthy diet of fresh vegetables, cheese, egg, fresh meat, tinned fruits,
tinned meat and fish (all meat and fish are prepared separately out of respect for the vegetarians
in our midst). They also serve a high dose of carbohydrates from breads, rice and pastas. They
supply you with unlimited hot-drinks, the key to successful acclimatization. We have
weatherproof kitchens and dining tents, with comfortable chairs and tables.
Group Equipments: Hilleberg Saivo 3-men tents for twin share, cooking tent, Hilleberg Atlas
dining tent with comfortable tables and chairs, toilet tent, shower tent, 4 two-way "walkietalkie" radios, satellite phone, solar panel for charging batteries, medical kit with medical
oxygen.
Climbing Equipments: We provide all climbing equipments, except from climbing boots,
crampons, ice axe and helmet. If you don’t have your own equipment, you can hire them in
Kathmandu for a total cost of about 17 000 rupees.
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Recommendations for things you should bring:
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Water bottle
Day pack
Sunglasses
Duct tape
Stuff bags
Toiletries
Towel
Torch
Penknife
Sewing kit
Medical kit
3 bottles minimum 1 litre each, should be able to hold hot water
medium size 60-70 litres
Glacier glasses made for climbing.
small roll
smaller bags to organize you duffle bag
we provide toilet papers
Top quality Head lamp
As per your prescriptions. It should be noted that the group
leader will be carrying a comprehensive first aid kit.
Optional
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Walking sticks
Cameras
Knee guard for those with bad knees
Clothing
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Trousers:
1 lightweight for easy walking. 1 warmer for colder days
preferable wind/water proof. 1 comfortable and warm for camps
Shorts:
Not too high cut revealing ones
T-shirts:
At least 4 or 5
Hats:
Sunhat and woollen ones for colder days
Gloves:
Woollen and Gore-Tex
Buff:
What is a buff??
Woollen inner liner: Light weight tops and trousers, preferably wool, at least 3 pairs
Socks:
At least 4 pairs (both thin and thick woollen ones)
Jackets:
1 fleece and 1 Gore-Tex wind/waterproof. Please note that
we provide down jackets.
Trekking boots: Preferably waterproof
Shoes
Light gym shoes for camp and Kathmandu.
Important gear for climbing
 Iceboots:
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For climbing 7000+meters. We recommend something like, or
similar to, Millet Everest/Shivling or Scarpa Phantom.
Crampons:
Fully automatic is easy to put on in the cold and dark environment.
Glacier googles: For protection against snow blindness and harsh wind.
Gloves:
1 woollen inner liner and one down mitten as a combination
Thick Thermals: Vest and leggings – preferably woolterry
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Sida 9
Healthy and trouble free holiday
There are no compulsory vaccinations required for entering Nepal. However please consult a
doctor for vaccination against Typhoid, Meningitis, polio, and hepatitis. If you have special
dietary requirements or allergies, please through your agent, give us a list of what you can and
can't eat so that we can provide proper food for you.
If you are undergoing a course of prescription medicine, please ensure that you have sufficient
supplies for the entire holiday. Some types of drugs including antimalarials have side affects at
high altitude; therefore please consult your doctors regarding these drugs. The places you trek
are mosquito free and there has been no report on malaria in Kathmandu for the past couple of
decades.
Insure yourself
We highly recommend you to take a comprehensive Personal Travel Insurance before leaving
home. This should cover for your loss of baggage, airline delays, sickness and accidents. And it
should also cover you for Emergency Helicopter Evacuation.
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Sida 10
Money Matters
The ideal currency to bring with you to Nepal is USD. In Nepal you can then exchange it to
Nepali Rupees.
In Kathmandu: Each meal will cost around 4 to 6 USD. Plus 10 to 20 USD for your taxis if
you wish to go around the city.
On trek: you will need around 6 to 10 USD per day. This money is for your hot showers,
chocolates, soft drinks and beers etc and also for small donations in the monasteries.
Tipping
Although tipping is entirely optional and personal matter the following is recommended as a
guideline
In Kathmandu: For bellboys, waiters and porters 20 to 30 Nepali Rupees
On the trek: At the end of the trek it is a customary to tip the field staff. The recommended
amount is 200 US$/group member. The Group leader will collect the tip and then split it
between the staff and put it in envelops so that the trekkers can give it to the staff during the
“Farwell Ceremonies”. If you want to tip the Nepali group leader and your climbing sherpa you
can do that separately.
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Sida 11
Some Do's and Don’ts
Nepalese people treat visitors as special guests. Although they will never rebuke you publicly for
unknowingly offending them, we must consider their culture.
While in Nepal please observe the following:
 Full or partial nudity is not accepted.
 Over display of affection between men and women, especially in temples and monasteries are
discouraged.
 Please remove your shoes before entering monasteries and temples.
 Never point the soles of your feet at a person or shrine.
 Many Hindu temples are closed to non-Hindus. Please ask before entering.
 Locals walk around the Mani walls and Stupas in a clockwise direction as a respect and they
expect you to do the same although it is not compulsory.
ENJOY!
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